Gambling with James Norrington
by CaliTigeress
Summary: A Stunning gambler/con artist has stumbled onto death role in Port Royale, James is in charge of her destiny, but fate ensues. NorringtonOC with appearances by Jack, Elizabeth and the rest of the gang.
1. Spinning a Tale

_**When the stakes are high you have to be prepared to win big and loose big. As a gambler/con artist I have known this my whole life, but I don't think James Norrington realized it the night he met me. Or maybe when he met me, he didn't expect to be playing for such stakes: life changing stakes, but when you go about capturing someone and taking away their freedom, even if he had to because of the law, that you're playing for something that can make or break someone's life. The funny thing is after all that has happened between us, I'm not entirely sure if I've won or lost. Usually when you're dealt the winning hand you know, a royal straight flush means you've won, but I guess with higher stakes than 10 pounds or an article of clothing, the outcome of the pot becomes even harder to distinguish…but I'm guessing all this talk of poker and gambling isn't intriguing especially since it's a metaphor, so I suppose I should tell you the story so the whole metaphor makes sense. Well it all started some time ago, when I was in my prime and dead ready to make a fortune…**_

"You'll be hanged for perjury, extortion of money, and for your other crimes against the Crown by the end of the week, Miss Laroche," I managed to glare up at the prissy English-wanna-be from under my eyelashes. (I had tried to knife him earlier and the guard hadn't thought that was a good idea, so now my face was pressed against the floor by the guard's boot and the bayonet from his gun rested on my back just above where my hands were manacled behind me, so the whole glaring was rather pointless but it made me feel better so I continued to do it.)

"What am I supposed to do until the end of the week?" I asked with as much contempt as I could muster in said position. I had a biting retort but the damn man cut me off.

"Languish in prison I suppose." He stated calmly. He must have motioned to the guard because there was no longer a foot on my head and a knife at my back. I sat up awkwardly without the use of my arms. "It is no longer of my concern what happens to you, well, until the date of your hanging. Then I'll have to care and be there for your death." I think he was trying to intimidate me with this speech, but I had heard it all before plus obscenities and threats to rape me so I was used to the whole "you'll be sleeping with the fishes" speech.

I tried to let the defiance shine out of my eyes as I looked up into his, but there was something about the chocolate brown of Commander whats-'is-face that stopped my eyes from rebelling. Instead I was doing something I hadn't done unless it involved the sea, I was just gazing into the warm brown. I was staring. Nothing had so fully captured my attention since the ocean's blue depths had captivated me. I had no account for it, and now that I had been staring and thinking about why I had been starring I couldn't come up with a witty retort at the risk of sounding slow, so I sat there shamelessly staring into the beautiful eyes _marron_.

"Should I be expecting trouble from you, Miss Laroche?" he said it firmly but I could catch the hint of wonder in his voice. He was staring at me just as intently as I had been at him. He stood and walked over to where I was kneeling. I gracefully unfolded myself, having stood up thousands of times with hands chained behind me, and continued to look him in the eye.

"Oh undoubtedly," I whispered. He nodded to the guard still fixated on me and I him as I was dragged out the door. I shook my head to dispel the scene from my head. After all, in a couple of days I could end up dead, I didn't need to be thinking about a hoity-toity British Officer's eyes. Escape… that's where my thoughts needed to lie.


	2. The Ploy

A/N: Someone pointed out to me that James has green eyes….my bad…but for the purpose of the story they will remain brown…k mostly just because I am lazy and don't feel like changing it plus I am loving all the chocolate similes that are to come/ have been written, but without further ado…the story!

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The cell I was shoved into was unremarkable same cold, grey stone and black bars. Nothing new there. The chains were left around my wrists, which was new. Obviously, my reputation had preceded me, and for once I wish it hadn't. It is much harder to pick a lock when your hands are behind your back. I hunched myself over and with very little effort pulled my legs through the arms-manacle loop and was standing with my hands in front of me.

"This slightly evens the odds," I muttered to myself. I glanced around at the adjoining cells. There was an empty cell between mine and one full of pirates: exactly 6 men. Commander Brown-Eyes had obviously been busy. " 'ello boys!" I said in my sultry voice. All five looked over and whistled…they always do. I was a beauty and I knew it. The being a girl and being a beautiful one makes cons so easy, sometimes it's disgusting. Men always fall for the exposed cleavage and girly giggles. Something about women in general just makes men stop working, and that has definitely been one of the things I have exploited over the years. If they can fall for a dumb giggle than they definitely don't deserve the cash they have on them.

"Pirates…" I despaired, but then an idea struck me. Pirates are after 3 things: girls, rum, and shoving it to the British Navy. I happened to fall under two of those categories: I had breasts and I had been a pain in the Navy's side for years. With persuasion, the miscreants in the next cell could be my allies, actually they would be my allies. I just had to divulge the plan and hope that…oh good lord I should probably find out what his name was…everything went according to it.

"Are you all willing to make an accord?" I said in my business voice, and they were all ears. All I had to do was spin my devilish web and soon the Commander would be under my influence.



A tragic scream was all it took for me to become awake and alert. A young soldier, I believe Tanner was his name, burst into my quarters. After muttered apologies for waking me and the bows and salutes made to someone of my rank, I was dressed and ready to head to where ever the dreadful noise had come from. I had an idea, but I was unwilling to think that the lovely maiden I had just hours earlier put in the dungeons could be in peril.

"Sir, there's a disturbance in the prison," I put on my belt with sword and pistol and followed Tanner as he explained the situation. "She must have angered one of the pirates! She's just lying there…on the floor." He was stammering and not making much sense.

"Start from the beginning, Mr. Tanner. It's a long walk to the prison from here, so the story from beginning to end should be sufficiently explained in the time required." I tried to sound calm, but I could not figure out what would have shaken Tanner up so much. Of course he hadn't seen action yet, so the sight of blood could have stirred his innards.

"Well, I wasn't there for all of it, sir, but she must have done something to upset the pirates. And they must've banded together to get her. It's horrible sir. They got a hold of a file and sawed through some of the bars, so they were in the cell right next to her. She must've given 'em a smart answer cuz now she's lying on the floor with blood streaming…" He didn't get a chance to say anything else. I had set off running towards the cells.

The girl was sprawled across the floor, blood was freely spilling from a gash in her head and two or three guards were holding back the attacking pirates. Blood was oozing from under the chains too. They must have tried to keep her close by pulling on the manacles, she struggled and the 'cuffs had chaffed until her wrists had bled. I rushed to her side, ripping my shirt as I went in order to use strips of it as a bandage. She was much less mesmerizing with her eyes closed, which was probably a good thing since I hadn't been able to think with her sea colored eyes focused on mine. Hell she was bleeding on the floor and all I could think of is what color her eyes were…this was not a good sign.

"Mr. Tanner, I want you to go to the barracks and make ready the room next to mine. After you have finished with that task you shall fetch the doctor and tell him that we have an inmate that is severely injured."

"But sir how will you get her from 'ere to there?"

"Mr. Tanner if you think I cannot handle a hundred something pound girl what kind of faith have you placed in your commanding officer?" He shuffled around under my scrutiny.

"Sorry, sir," then with a sharp salute he scrambled up the steps. I carefully knelt down and picked up the girl. I could see the blue in her black hair against the navy of my jacket, and then realized I never thought this much about colors…what had this girl done to me?


End file.
